Belt for picking up liquids

ABSTRACT

The belt comprises at least one layer of strong material (e.g., canvas) stitched to at least one layer of absorbent material (e.g., terry cloth). The stitching is arranged in a herringbone pattern of inclined rows extending from apices along the centre line, and the edges are free of further stitching. This arrangement facilitates squeezing of absorbed liquid laterally out of the belt between squeeze rollers.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,764,016 Sewell et al. Oct. 9, 1973 BELTFOR PICKING UP LIQUIDS 3,617,552 11/1971 Will et al. 210/400 [75]Inventors Richard B. H. Sewell; Simon P. gellsombboth of Victoria,British Primary Examiner john Adee 0 Canada Attorney-Peter Kirby et al.[73] Assignee: R.B.H. Cybernetics (1970) Ltd.,

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada [22] Filed: May 25, 1972 i [57]ABSTRACT 21 A 1. No.: 257 014 1 pp The belt comprises at least one layerof strong material (e.g., canvas) stitched to at least one layer of ab-Cl 210/502, 21 sorbent material (e.g., terry cloth). The stitching isar- [51] Int. Cl E02b 15/04 ed in a herringbone pattern of inclined rowsex- [58] Field of Search 210/400, 401, 391, t ndi g fmm apices along thecentre line, and the 500 edges are free of further stitching. Thisarrangement facilitates squeezing of absorbed liquid laterally out ofReferencas Cited the belt between squeeze rollers.

UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,314,540 4/1967 Lane 210/DlG. 21 6 Claims, 4Drawing Figures BELT FOR PICKING UP LIQUIDS This invention relates to abelt for use in picking up liquids.

There are many circumstances under which it happens that liquids, suchas paint vehicles, palm oils, edible oils, organic chemicals,lubricatngoil, diesel oil, gasoline, kerosene, bunker fuel, emulsionsand foams are found in various locations from which they are to betransferred to other locations. For various reasons, includingsafety,the avoidance of pollutionand the reclaiming of valuablematerials, it is often necessary or desirable to collect these liquids.Canadian Pat. No. 735,254 issued May EH, 1966 to R.B.H. Sewell disclosesapparatus for removing liquid spillfrom the surface of another liquid,e.g., removing a layer of oil from a body of water. Such apparatusincludes a roller system for guiding an endless belt continuously intocontact with the spill to absorb the same and for then passing the beltthrough squeeze rollers to remove as much as possible of the spillliquid before returning the belt to the spill to absorb a furtherquantity thereof. The liquid squeezed out by the rollers is collectedand appropriately disposed of.

The belt proposed for use in this prior apparatus was formed of amaterial that will absorb the spilled liquid in preference to the water,for example a loosely woven absorbent cotton.

The present invention is concerned with improvements in belts of thistype, which belts may be employed either with a roller system such asthat disclosed in the above-noted patent, or in association with othersystems by means of which they are brought into contact at a firstlocation with a liquid to be absorbed and are then conveyed to a secondlocation where the liquid is squeezed out, the belt then being re-usedfor further absorption purposes. It is not essential to the presentinvention that the belt possess the property of preferential absorption,e.g., preferring say oil to water although this will normally bedesirable. Moreover, belts constructed in accordance with the presentinvention may also be designed for duties involving the picking up of aliquid from a solid surface instead of from a body of water.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved elongatebelt of the type described that will combine the features of highabsorption capacity with mechanical strength and endurance, as well asefficiency in operation, especially an effective removal of the absorbedliquid from the belt at the squeezing station. It is towards this latterend that the belt is formed with a pattern of stitching joining thelayers of the belt together that is especially conducive to theeffective squeezing of liquid laterally outwardly of the belt betweensqueeze rollers.

The invention consists of such a belt comprising a. at least one layerof strong material imparting physical strength to the belt,

b. at least one layer of liquid absorbent material,

0. and stitching joining said layers together,

d. said stitching extending in parallel rows inclined to the directionof extent of the belt to form a herringbone pattern extending outwardlyfrom a series of apices located along the longitudinal centre line ofthe belt to the edges of the belt,

e. the edges of the belt being otherwise free of stitching joining saidlayers together.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an endless pick-up belt constructed accordingto the invention and shown with a simple roller system;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of this belt;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on III-III in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an alternative to FIG. 2.

The roller system comprises squeeze and drive rollers 1 and 2, and apick-up roller 3 located so as to bring the belt 4 extending around itinto contact with the liquid (not shown). The belt 4 comprises a numberof layers 5 of canvas and terry cloth. There must be at least one layer5a of canvas or similar strong material to impart dimensional stabilityto the belt, and at least one layer 5b of terry cloth or other stronglyabsorbent material to provide the belt with the needed carryingcapacity. While the belt may thus consist of only two layers, one ofcanvas and one of terry cloth, it will usually be preferred to addadditional terry cloth layers 50 to increase the capacity of the belt.In some cases, additional canvas layers can also be used, e.g., whenunusually high strength is required.

Stitching 7, 8 joins the layers 5 together along pairs of parallel linesthat form a herringbone patternon the belt. This arrangement ofstitching is important in facilitating efficient unloading of the beltat the squeeze rollers 1,2. The apices 9 of the lines of stitchingshould be at or near the longitudinal centre line of the belt and, inuse, must point inthe direction that the belt will travel (arrows 10).It is also important that along the edges 11 there should bejnostitching (other than where the stitching rows 7 and 8 reach the edges),thus permitting free travel of liquid out of the belt in the transversedirection of the belt. This freedom for liquid to move laterally fromthe belt edges is especially important during the unloading (squeezing)process; otherwise there would be a tendency for liquid to be trappedbetween the rollers or for the belt to be damaged.

It is preferable, but not essential, that the belt stitching be soarranged that the apex 9 of each stitiching row 7 is approximately intransverse alignment with the locations at which the stitching rows 8join the edges 11.

While the stitching has been shown arranged in pairs of rows 7,8 with agap to the next row, as an alternative the rows 7 and 8 can be spacedfurther from each other, so that the stitching is uniformly spaced alongthe belt, as shown in FIG. 4.

The belt ends, where they are joined to make an endless belt, arepreferably cut in a V form so that they can be joined with a slightoverlap by a row or rows of herringbone stitching conforming to the rows7,8.

We claim:

1. An elongate belt for use in picking up liquids comprising a. at leastone layer of strong material imparting physical strength to the belt,

b. at least one layer of liquid absorbent material,

c. and stitching joining said layers together,

d. said stitching extending in parallel rows inclined to the directionof extent of the belt to form a herringbone pattern extending outwardlyfrom a series of apices located along the longitudinal centre line ofthe belt to the edges of the belt,

which the next adjacent pair of stitching rows join the belt edges.

4. A belt according to claim 1, wherein said layer of strong material isof canvas.

5. A belt according to claim 1, wherein said layer of absorbent materialis a terry cloth.

6. A belt according to claim 1, including a plurality of layers of saidliquid absorbent material.

1. An elongate belt for use in picking up liquids comprising a. at leastone layer of strong material imparting physical strength to the belt, b.at least one layer of liquid absorbent material, c. and stitchingjoining said layers together, d. said stitching extending in parallelrows inclined to the direction of extent of the belt to form aherringbone pattern extending outwardly from a series of apices locatedalong the longitudinal centre line of the belt to the edges of the belt,e. the edges of the belt being otherwise free of stitching joining saidlayers together.
 2. A belt according to claim 1, wherein said rows ofstitching are arranged in pairs with the spacing between adjacent pairsgreater than between the individual rows of each pair.
 3. A beltaccording to claim 2, wherein the apices formed by one said Pair ofstitching rows are substantially in transverse alignment with thelocations at which the next adjacent pair of stitching rows join thebelt edges.
 4. A belt according to claim 1, wherein said layer of strongmaterial is of canvas.
 5. A belt according to claim 1, wherein saidlayer of absorbent material is a terry cloth.
 6. A belt according toclaim 1, including a plurality of layers of said liquid absorbentmaterial.